Notes in GitHub
Keep your notes as Markdown in your own GitHub repository
You already trust GitHub with your code. ForkLeaf is a notes app that writes plain .md files to a repository you own — with linking, search, diagrams and offline editing — and commits them for you.
How it works
- Step 1
Pick a repository
A new private one, or one that already has Markdown in it. ForkLeaf reads .md files where they are, sub-folders and front matter included.
- Step 2
Write
A real editor: rich text that is Markdown underneath, [[wikilinks]], backlinks, tables, Mermaid diagrams and pasted images. Every keystroke is saved on your device first.
- Step 3
It commits for you
Changes are pushed to GitHub as ordinary commits when there is a network. Offline, they wait in a queue, and the status bar says what is saved where.
What git gives a notebook
History that never expires
Every save is a commit. Diff any two versions of a note, see who wrote a paragraph and when, and bring back what you deleted months ago.
Sync on every device, free
Private repositories cost nothing on GitHub, and git already solved syncing. Open the same notes on a laptop, a work machine or a phone browser.
Review like code
Propose a change on a branch and merge it through a pull request. A GitHub Actions check can fail a pull request that leaves a link pointing at nothing.
Publish with GitHub Pages
Turn a folder into a public site, a book or a digital garden from the same repository — no export, no second copy.
Readable everywhere
The files render on github.com, open in VS Code and Obsidian, and build in Hugo or Jekyll. Nothing about them needs ForkLeaf.
Nothing to be locked out of
ForkLeaf stores no notes on its servers. If it vanished tomorrow you would clone the repository and carry on.
Why not just edit on github.com?
You can, and for one file it is fine. For a notebook, github.com has no [[wikilinks]] or backlinks, no search across what you wrote, no offline editing, and a commit for every save made by hand. A folder with git on the command line works too — until you want your notes on a machine without it. ForkLeaf keeps the repository and removes the chores.
Coming from another app? See ForkLeaf vs Obsidian, ForkLeaf vs Notion or every comparison.
Questions
Can I use GitHub to store my notes?
Yes. A GitHub repository is a good home for notes: Markdown renders on github.com, private repositories are free, and git keeps the full history. ForkLeaf adds a proper editor on top, with linking, search, diagrams and automatic commits, so you never run git by hand.
Is ForkLeaf free?
Yes, completely, with no paid tier. ForkLeaf is open source under Apache-2.0. Your notes are stored in your own GitHub account, so there is no storage for ForkLeaf to charge for.
Can my notes repository be private?
Yes. Sign in with the standard GitHub permission to use private repositories, or with public-repository access only if you prefer a narrower grant.
Do I need to know git?
No. ForkLeaf commits and pushes for you, and shows conflicts in plain language when the same note changed in two places. If you do know git, everything is ordinary commits you can work with from the command line.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Edits are written to IndexedDB on your device before anything else, and pushed to GitHub when you reconnect.